


Though I'm Far Away I Know I'll Stay

by freeiheitpisarz



Category: Now You See Me (2013)
Genre: Alternate Ending, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Hurt!Jack, Injuried, M/M, Spoilers, broken leg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-09
Updated: 2013-08-09
Packaged: 2017-12-22 21:42:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/918348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/freeiheitpisarz/pseuds/freeiheitpisarz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack was just a kid really, and now he was just a kid lying at the bottom of a garbage chute with a broken leg.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Though I'm Far Away I Know I'll Stay

**Author's Note:**

> Explanation of the tags is at the bottom of the work, slight spoilers.

Jack’s heart is pounding, hammering in his chest, as he scampers out of the room into the hallway. His stomach is swirling, a mash of guilt and adrenaline and various other emotions he can’t even name. But he swallows them down, swallows down his guilt of needlessly attacking Rhodes and the other agent, and jumps down the garage chute.

He hears the break, the snap, before he feels it. Then the realisation hits him like a truck, and a sudden searing pain is shooting up his leg. He cries out, screams, and curls in on himself. He curls around his useless leg and his body shudders in pain as his fingers claw uselessly at the concrete.

Dylan hears the break and lands with a thump next to the Horsemen, wincing as he hits the concrete. But his brief pain seems nothing compared to the kid’s, who actually looks like a kid now, his face contorted in pain and his body curled in the foetal position.

“Shit,” Dylan swears, before cautiously approaching the kid. On closer inspection, the kid looks like he was barely out of his teenage years. Far too young and innocent to be caught up with the Four Horsemen. “Kid-”

The kid interrupts him before he can continue. “I’m sorry!” His voice is broken and raspy from pain. “I’m sorry.” He mumbles again, rather pitifully, and turns his head in an almost attempt to dig it into the pavement.

“It’s alright kid,” Dylan searches his mind for the kid’s name. Jack. Jack Wilder. “Jack, isn’t it?” The kid doesn’t response for a moment before giving a tight nod. “You’re alright. We’ll get you to a hospital.”

That appears to be the wrong thing to say because Jack groans and begins to try and struggle to his feet. He’s too slow and Dylan’s too fast though, and Dylan pins him down. “Can’t go to hospital,” Jack says, softly, his face scrunched in pain. “I can’t.”

“Why not?” Dylan asks. Despite himself, he finds himself questioning the boy. “Who are you working for?”

A cry escapes from Jack’s lips and the pain etched on his face makes him look ever younger, vulnerable. “I can’t,” he repeats. “They’ll-” He pauses, a stricken expression on his face.

“They’ll what?” Dylan asks. “What? Will they hurt you? Jack, we can protect you.” He says, even though he doesn’t know if the words are true.

Jack shakes his head again. “Not just me,” he mutters. “I can’t go to hospital.”

Agent Fuller arrives then, skidding to a stop in the alleyway. He runs towards them, radio already raised to his mouth, but he lowers it when he sees Jack’s condition.

“Call an ambulance,” Dylan instructs, ignoring Jack’s cry of disagreement. While Dylan is turned however, Jack attempts to haul himself to his feet, only to cry out and crumple to the ground. “Call them,” Dylan repeats and Agent Fuller radios for an ambulance. Jack begins to cry again and Dylan’s heart tugs at his vulnerability. “It’ll be alright.”

“Wasn’t supposed to happen like this,” Jack mumbles, drawing in on himself. “We were supposed to be happy,” Dylan exchanges glances with Agent Fuller and Fuller shrugs in reply. “It hurts.”

“Who was supposed to be happy Jack?”

Jack ignores him, pressing his eyes tightly shut. Dylan reaches out, patting down his pockets, and withdraws a photograph from Jack’s pant pocket. It was a photograph of Jack and one of the other Horsemen, Daniel Atlas. Dylan’s gaze flickers to Fuller, who is staring intently at the photo over his shoulder.

Jack opens his eyes and sees the photo in Dylan’s hand, before closing them again. “We met a year ago, when this started,” he takes a few shaky breathes. “Daniel convinced me to go along with it, told me I could make a better life for myself,” he stops, grunting in pain. “And then we happened, and we thought we could do this to make a new life together,” He stops, almost suddenly, and realises he has said too much. “Sorry for attacking you,” he adds, licking his lips. “Part of the trick.”

“What was supposed to happen?” Dylan asks, because he knows there’s always another plan.

For a few long moments Jack doesn’t respond, and Dylan thinks he won’t. “I die,” he replies. “I was supposed to crash and you’d think I was dead-” He cuts himself off and shakes his head again.

“Ambulance is here.” Fuller says softly and when Dylan looks up at him, Fuller is staring at Jack with an unreadable expression.

Jack nods, almost sadly, and sighs. “Can you do me a favour?” He asks suddenly, and Dylan can hear the paramedics now. “Tell Daniel I’m sorry,” he smiles bitterly. “I screwed up the trick. He won’t like that.” Jack sighs again and relaxes against the concrete.

Dylan doesn’t say anything and simply stands when the paramedics move in, backing away. “He’s only a kid,” Fuller says softly, shaking his head. “What happens now?” He asks, but something in his tone tells him Fuller already knows or doesn’t want to know.

“We could cut a deal with him,” he replies and shrugs. “He basically said the trick is ruined with him out of commission, so maybe he’ll cut a deal. We could offer the other’s protection.”

Fuller nods and Dylan rakes a hand through his hair as they both turn to watch as the paramedics load Jack into the back of the ambulance. After a moment he calls out, before racing to catch up so he can climb in beside the young, broken boy.

**Author's Note:**

> Because I thought of this during the movie, before I knew the ending, this disregards Dylan's role at the end of the movie. Hence the Canon Divergence tag.


End file.
